We live in an interesting time for the public sector. Local and state governments are struggling to allocate scarce tax dollars to a variety of important programs and needs, and often short term issues (public safety, social services) are winning out over long-term investments like higher education and economic development. Whether you think that’s the right way or the wrong way to approach it, that’s what’s happening, and so it’s interesting to see how economic development organizations are dealing with the new reality.

Only Chicago imposes more taxes on travelers than Seattle, according to a national study of car rental, hotel and meal taxes in the 50 largest U.S. cities. Seattle, with nearly $38 in total taxes on travelers, trails only Chicago, at nearly $41 per day. The U.S. average was $29.71